I must admit… this is older news, and we have been sitting on these photos for some time in order to get proper permission to show them. Now we have it!! This new studio Cylon Raider from Moebius Models looks fantastic! Not to mention the amazing build by E. James Small…. which is studio worthy to film! What has cost us collectors hundreds of dollars to obtain in the past as a kit is now going to be available for great, mass produced pricing! Thank you Moebius.. and thank you Jim for showing us this box art build!

Here is a nice look at the upcoming studio scale Cylon Raider kit from Moebius. This model was built from test shots and modified slightly. I installed a machined metal armature into the model’s core and added LED lighting to make what can best be described as a full studio replica of the ship. There were several “hero” miniatures of the ship made and filmed for the 1978 classic, and all of them looked slightly different from each other. I went for a kind of “hybrid” that captured what I thought were the best parts from each original model.

There are a few shots of the model under construction. The white areas are sections I modified a bit. I also carved out the engine section to put in tubes that match what was in the studio miniatures. Three switches and a battery pack to turn on the lights are under the removable canopy cover, held in place by an added tab at the back of the canopy and a magnet up front on top of the armature.

Some shots here show how the completed model can be mounted. In lieu of an actual motion control rig (!!!) I use cymbal stands to display the models as desired. For the “FX” shots, I just cover the chrome rods closest to the model with a sheet of black velvet to match the background. Yeah I suppose I could “Blue Screen” it but this is easier for still photography.

Also shown are the new hatches I made for the model. Although the hatch that comes with the kit is accurate, I wanted to make all versions. They are made primarily from the famous and very heavily used Anzio Annie and Morser Karl kits as per the originals. Note that one hatch looks like the front of the Monogram kit… that`s because at least 2 of the original models really did have those parts used. I had to sand off the roof-hatch molded on the kit and make a new hatch to replace it in order to install the armature.

Rear views show the 1 watt 10mm LED lights used for the engines. The original miniatures used high power quartz lights but LED technology is much better now, and they don’t get hot. Also allows them to run all day on a couple of alkaline cells without the need for an external power supply.

Underside shots show the lights under the wings which were indeed installed on at least one or two of the original studio models, and can be seen as they fly overhead in shots as they attack Caprica. All three light sets, the underwing lights, “headlights” and engine lights have their own switch under the canopy.

Enjoy!
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E. James Small

Nova Scotia, Canada

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